


Sit Back; Take it Slow

by stephanericher



Series: 31 Days of Horoscopes [23]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 00:53:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9574691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephanericher/pseuds/stephanericher
Summary: 2/3: Conversations with friends take on a more serious note, Aquarius. Spiritual matters and beliefs could come up, as could the more pressing mundane details of life. Whatever is discussed today could bring to the surface new ideas for making whatever you're working on move smoothly and quickly to success. Metaphysical ideas seem clearer and more down to Earth. Treat your friends to a nice meal.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so this 31-day challenge is based on the wonderful [31-Day Horoscope Challenge by @icandrawamoth](http://archiveofourown.org/series/621022). Simply: read your horoscope for the day from horoscope.com (Aquarius for me); use it as a writing prompt.

It’s been a long time since they’ve all gotten together as a team. Too long, in Kiyoshi’s opinion, although there’s no way of saying it without sounding like a total sap, so he doesn’t. Besides, there are better things to talk about than what they should be doing.  
  
“You need help?”  
  
“Nah, I’m good,” says Kimura, giving him the thumbs up. “We’re the hosts.”  
  
He and his brother had promised them all dinner this weekend while their dad’s away on a hot spring trip, but Kiyoshi had assumed it would be more of a group effort. Not that he’s great at cooking, or that anyone other than Ootsubo is, but still.  
  
“Kiyo-chan was just going to say it’s been too long, right?”  
  
Takao squeezes him around his waist and Kiyoshi scowls. “I was not. Maybe you were, but I don’t say that kind of thing.”  
  
“Uh-huh,” says Takao.  
  
He’s smiling up at Kiyoshi in that stupidly cute but bratty way he does (and ugh, he’s definitely gotten taller again).  
  
“Aww, Miyaji, that’s so sweet of you,” says Kimura.  
  
“It’s Takao who said it, not me.”  
  
“Uh-huh,” says Kimura, and he returns to tending the cooking meat, studiously ignoring Kiyoshi before he can even think of a retort.  
  
Kiyoshi flicks Takao’s forehead.  
  
“That’s mean, Kiyo-chan,” Takako whines, dragging Kiyoshi off to the living room.  
  
“What did you do this time?” says Midorima.  
  
Kiyoshi’s not sure who that’s directed toward (and it had better be Takao).  
  
“I did nothing,” Kiyoshi says. “Takao’s putting words in my mouth again. He’s the mean one.”  
  
“I’m just saying what you’re thinking,” says Takao.  
  
“How romantic,” says Ootsubo.  
  
Kiyoshi’s not going to say anything else.

* * *

Dinner is loud, but in the good kind of full way, where there’s a lot to say and a lot to share, hands brushing hands over the tabletop to reach for food, meat and salad and rice and fresh fruit, elbows bumping against each other, particularly Kiyoshi’s against Takao’s (although that’s a hundred percent intentional on Takao’s part, and Kiyoshi can’t even be mad at him for it). Everyone’s talking a lot, mostly about basketball—Kiyoshi’s talking the NBA with Ootsubo’s sister and Kimura; Ootsubo’s giving the kids free advice on their own strategy.  
  
“It’s harder this year, though,” says Yuuya. “Not that we’ve, like, gotten worse, but we have to play to different strengths. With you guys it was more size-based, but we don’t have as much of that.”  
  
It’s true; Midorima’s still huge (especially for a guard) but Kimura’s brother is still growing (even if he’s filling out more and more every day) and Yuuya’s a little shorter and a lot more wiry than Kiyoshi. Takao’s a little taller than he was last year, but he’s still relatively small and still not big enough to offset the other differences, especially considering how short their rotating cast of power forwards is.  
  
“We’re working a lot on footwork, passing under the other teams if we can—it’s different. It’s hard to just pivot and switch strategies like this, but.”  
  
Yuuya shrugs.  
  
“From what Tae tells me, you’re doing a good job,” says Ootsubo.  
  
Kiyoshi would very much like a photo of Yuuya’s face after receiving that kind of high praise, but he’ll settle for seeing it in person. The conversation reorganizes, Ootsubo’s sister and Kimura’s brother start bugging Midorima about horoscopes; Ootsubo asks Kimura about the recipes he’d used; Yuuya keeps staring into space. Takao leans against Kiyoshi’s shoulder.  
  
“I’m tired.”  
  
“Are you asking me to carry you home?”  
  
“So romantic, Kiyo-chan.”  
  
He sighs, and a warm feeling starts to fill up Kiyoshi. It’s not just the space heater or the food; it’s not anything weird. It’s just being here, with everyone like this, more than half a year after graduation, still comfortable. Takao’s eyes are half-closed, and Kiyoshi reaches over to tuck some of his hair behind his ear (it’s getting too long again). Takao opens his eyes like a lazy cat and for a second Kiyoshi wonders if he’s going to swat his hand away.  
  
“Thanks, Kiyo-chan,” Takao says instead.  
  
“No problem, Kid,” says Kiyoshi.  
  
No one’s paying them any mind, so he leaves his hand up on Takao’s skin a little bit longer.

* * *

Yuuya walks ahead of them on the way back, loudly complaining that it’s cold and they should hurry up instead of being so sappy. Kiyoshi would like to say something about respecting your wonderful older brother, but sometimes it’s just easier to ignore Yuuya, especially when Takao’s distracting him by moving their hands together in the pocket of Kiyoshi’s jacket, drumming his fingers on Kiyoshi’s palm.  
  
“You want to come over tomorrow?” says Kiyoshi.  
  
“Yeah. After I’ve done my homework,” says Takao.  
  
“Don’t flunk out of school,” says Kiyoshi, almost on reflex.  
  
Takao’s bright enough and talkative enough) to bullshit his way out of things, if he ever needs to. He always gets good grades but never seems to be studying too hard; it’s the kind of thing that would make Kiyoshi hate him if they were in the same class.  
  
“We have practice tomorrow evening!” Yuuya calls from up ahead (of course he’s listening).  
  
“Then I’ll head over with you,” says Takao.  
  
(They do get along when Yuuya’s not acting like a twelve-year-old because heaven forbid Takao and Kiyoshi would act like they’re dating because they kind of are.) Takao grabs his hand and squeezes it, and Kiyoshi looks at him. Oh, they’re at the turnoff.  
  
“You could stay over,” he says.  
  
Takao smiles. “I’d like to. But…”  
  
Yeah, he’d told his parents he’d be home and he has homework to do (and getting it to fly with Kiyoshi’s parents would be a whole different issue).  
  
“Night,” he says, letting Takao pull him in for a kiss.  
  
“Night, Kiyo-chan.” He turns to Yuuya. “Goodnight, Captain!”  
  
“Yeah, you, too,” says Yuuya.  
  
He turns the corner, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Kiyoshi wants to keep watching him, but he really isn’t that sappy. He ruffles Yuuya’s hair instead.  
  
“Did you have a good time?”  
  
“Yeah,” says Yuuya. “I’m glad we did this.”  
  
Kiyoshi is, too.


End file.
